Page 90 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

Before starting her way back into the motel room.

29

Max

Everything happened in such a blur I was almost taken aback. Almost. While I’d been part of shady, underground situations, I’d never been part of a police bust before. A part of me worried that something Benji might reveal would take us down again. Put me back in cuffs or put Rupert back behind bars. The only thing that kept me grounded was the feeling of Dani pressed against my body. Her head softly leaning against my chest. I stared out the window, my eyes following the cruiser that escorted Benji away from this fucking place.

Then the captain came back into the room.

“I don’t know how to thank you two enough,” she said.

Dani giggled. “Well, for starters, you can guarantee that neither myself, Max, nor any of the Red Thorns will be arrested after we helped you with something like this. A lot of us put our neck on the line to make this work. The last thing I want to see is it backfiring in ou

r faces like that.”

Captain nodded. “You’ve got my word on that. I’ve already drawn up deals for all of you to sign. Because I sure as hell am not going to be pissing off the men who have had direct contact with Ashton Ryddle.”

I licked my lips. “I’m assuming you’ll want some of us to testify?”

Captain sighed. “If it comes down to it, I’m hoping so. I’ve been building a case against Ashton Ryddle for years. And do you know how hard it is to pin down a man like him?”

Dani laughed bitterly. “Yeah. I think we have an idea.”

I snickered. “I’ve got more than an idea, honestly.”

The captain shook her head. “I mean, nobody takes me seriously with it. Any time the name ‘Ryddle’ comes up in anything--any report, any testimony, any story--cops just run for the hills like little fire ants. But this time? This time I have enough to make it stick. And it’s because of you two.”

I nodded. “Trust me, we were more than glad to help.”

Dani wrapped her arm around me. “Just as long as it’s worth our while in terms of our safety.”

Captain chuckled. “It will be, I promise. I’m not going to drag my feet on that paperwork, either. Thank you for working with me to close this once and for all. I couldn’t have done it without you. And I’ll see to it that everyone is compensated accordingly.”

I looked down at Dani. “I’ll be okay with Rupert out of jail and making sure my woman’s safe.”

Dani looked up at me. “And I’ll be okay with making sure my men are safe. All of them.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Something I should know, gorgeous?”

She giggled. “You didn’t think you were the only one who cared about the Red Thorns, did you?”

I lowered my voice. “We’re technically not supposed to say anything like that around cops.”

The captain laughed. “I’ll let it slide this one time. Just make sure to keep your noses clean, yeah? This is a fresh start for all of you. Make it worth something, all right?”

I nodded. “You’ve got my word on that. Especially if my father’s going to be off the streets.”

The captain placed her hand on my shoulder. “You give me a few days, and you’ve got exactly that.”

I held my free hand out for her to shake. And when she did, Dani did the same. Finally, it felt like I had some sort of closure in this situation. But something still tickled at the back of my mind.

Something I couldn't explain.

I clicked my tongue. “Captain, by any chance, is my father--?”

She smiled. “Already in police custody. While he recovers in the hospital, of course. When my men confirmed for me that they had what they needed on their recordings, I ordered your father’s room to be guarded at all times. He’s cuffed to the bed, he isn’t allowed anywhere without two police escorts, and he’ll be headed straight to the station once he's discharged from the hospital.”

I sighed. “Thank you. That’s a relief.”

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